Combination spout cap and flint holder



Filed Nov. 23, 1953 Rusaelfifinndfield @Ehffnrd JKruEmEI INVENTORS May 12, 1959 RE. BANDFIELD ETAL COMBINATION SPOUT CAP AND FLINT HOLDER XX X 00 7/4 6?/////////////// .& fiia //I// %IW.'

to j United States Patent COMBINATION SPOUT CAP AND FLINT HOLDER Russel E. Bandfield and Clifford J. Kraemer, Toledo, Ohio Application November 23, 1953, Serial No. 393,672

1 Claim. (Cl. 206-42) This invention relates to closures for containers.

An object of this invention is to provide an elastic cap as a closure for a can spout which cap includes additional utilities.

Another object of this invention is to provide an elastic closure as a cap for a spout, which closure also serves as a storage place for useful elements.

Another object of this invention is to provide a closure cap for a spout, which cap carries a supply of useful items normally used in conjunction with the contents of the container which carries the spout.

And another object of this invention is to provide an elastic closure cap for a spout of a lighter fluid container, which cap symmetrically carries a supply of pyrophoric elements normally used in flint type lighters.

Other objects and advantages of this invention relating to the arrangement, operation and functions of the related elements of the structure, to various details of construction, to combination of parts and to economics of manufacture, will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following description and appended claim, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a container having a spout thereon, which spout is sealed by a closure cap of the invention herein;

Fig. 2 is a plan view (enlarged) of the closure cap shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view on the line III-III, Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing a cap having a modified peripheral form.

A primary purpose of the invention is to provide a combination closure cap and flint holder for lighter fluid cans. Such a can or container is usually provided with a spout 12 attached thereto. The spout 12 is normally designed for injecting fluid from the. container 10 into lighter filling openings, and due to the fact the contents are of a high volatile nature, it is necessary to seal the spout to retain the contents in the container except when such contents are being discharged.

The closure herein comprises a molded body 14 formed of an elastic substance such as polyethylene, soft rubber or the like. This elastic body 14 incorporates a central dome portion 16 encasing an inwardly tapering recess 18 from the access opening 20 thereinto centrally of the base of the body 14. The taper of the recess 18 is usually just slightly less than the taper of the spout 12, so that when the cap 14 is placed on the spout, the body 14 is slightly stretched, whereby the dome 16 snugly hugs and shrouds the spout.

The body 14 is provided with an outwardly extending peripheral flange 22, of substantial thickness about the base of the dome 16 and integral therewith. This flange 22 is provided with a plurality of openings or pockets 24 perpendicularly extending through the flange. These aper- "ice tures are inspaced substantial parallellism with the axis of the dome 16 and the recess 18 therein. Each of the apertures 24 is filled with a pyrophoric element or flint 26, and, due to the fact that the diameter of the openings 24 is normally slightly less than the diameter of the cylindrical elements 26, when the flints are fitted into the openings 24, they are frictionally held and confined within the pockets. The flints may be distributed in a regular pattern about the flange 22, and serve to reinforce the elastic flange 22, so that the flange 22 may be gripped and twisted from the spout without undue deformation of the cap. The elastic flange reinforced by the metallic cylinders 26 provides a substantial grip of suflicient rigidity to easily remove the cap from the container spout under all normal circumstances.

Furthermore, when the cap is forced onto the spout to seal the same, the cap is slightly extended throughout its body, due to the diverging extension of the recess as to the spout 12. This slight extension additionally locks the flints within the flange 22 as the walls about the flints are very slightly deformed. While the flints may be easily removed from the cap flange even with the cap on the container, nevertheless, by removing the cap and using a suitable instrument 28 against the exposed terminals of the flints, the flints are quickly and easily slipped out of their containing pockets and are then free to be inserted in a lighter. The flange 22 may be variously configured to a desirable pattern, an example of which is herein shown in Fig. 4. The outward extent of the body of the flange may be reduced with projections 30 distributed at regular intervals thereabout, which projections provide suflicient body material about the pockets 24 to form a substantial construction and increase the gripping area.

There is thus provided a closure cap which not only adds considerable sales appeal to a particular brand of lighter fluid, but also provides a convenient storage space for a supply of flints which are useful along with the contents of thecontainer. It also provides a common sales package, including two items normally related, and the nature of the construction retains the flints until they are selectively removed from their storage space ready for use.

It is to be understood that the above description of the present invention is intended to disclose an embodiment thereof to those skilled in the art, but that the invention is not to be construed as limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the in- Vention is capable of being practiced and carried out in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. The language used in the specification relating to the operation and function of the elements of the invention is employed for purposes of description and not of limitation, and it is not intended to limit the scope of the following claim beyond the requirements of the prior art.

What is claimed and desired to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

A closure cap for a container spout comprising a molded cap of elastic material, said cap including a dome coaxial on said cap having an inwardly tapered recess thereinto from the base of said cap, a peripheral flange outwardly extending about thebase of said dome, said flange being of substantial thickness and having a series of apertures therethrough distributed around the dome, and a pyrophoric cylinder frictionally held within each aperture, said cylinders having their terminals coplanar with the surfaces of said flange and exposed to be abutted by an instrument for slidably shifting a selected cylinder from said flange.

(References on following page) References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 700,653 Jobson May 20, 1902 1,665,214' McGraw Apr. 10, 1928 5 '4 Harris Dec. 15, 1942 Theobold June 30, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Feb. 27, 1934 

